Twin towers proposed by Stoney Creek’s Battlefield park
A local builder hopes to rezone a long-vacant grassy lot across the road from Stoney Creek's Battlefield House Museum and Park to make way for residential towers 18- and 20-storeys high.
Applications before the city seek to change the former municipal property's commercial zoning to a mixed-use, medium-density designation, raising the allowable building height to 64 metres - up from 22 metres.
The plan calls for 564 residential units in the two towers and a six-storey podium linking the taller buildings, setting aside 356 square metres of ground-floor space in the 20-storey tower for commercial use.
Parking for 422 vehicles located at the rear of the buildings and underground, exceed the 329 spaces required, according to documents prepared by Urban Solutions planning consultants on behalf of Hamilton builder Kyle Camarro.
It's a good location for what they're proposing, (but) a little too tall, in my opinion," said Russ Powers, the area's councillor.
The 0.56-hectare property, whose past uses include a Chinese restaurant and gas station, is to the immediate east of the Stoney Creek Municipal Cemetery. The city bought the lot in 2013, but sold it five years later after abandoning plans for an interpretive centre.
Powers said apart from building height, other concerns include traffic impacts at an already busy intersection and how the development will affect views of the escarpment. All in all, it looks pretty utilitarian. It doesn't look like kind of a fancy, complimentary building," he said. It looks like a good, functional design."
The owner of the Scout Cafe, located at the northeast corner of King Street and Centennial Parkway, said he's OK with the plan, which should boost area businesses, especially new ones like hair and nail salons on the north side of King.
At least something's going on and people are building," said Dejan Rajsic. It's better than having coyotes or rats there because every night you can see coyotes and all kinds of animals coming from there."
City planner Daniel Barnett said no date has been set for a required public meeting. Based on both how the file is progressing and our internal timelines, it will not go to a public meeting in 2022 and therefore will be some time in 2023 at the earliest," he said via email.
Urban Solutions planning consultant Matt Johnston said the proposed development helps the city meet provincial and local targets for compatible housing intensification, especially with council's decision to the freeze Hamilton's urban boundary.
Along with other proposed highrise developments in the area, it responds to the planned LRT line that will run from McMaster University to Eastgate Square and future rail service to the GO Station on Centennial Parkway North, he said via email.
Johnston said the parking spaces are more than required, but at a level will still encourage other modes of transportation.
Construction, expected to start no earlier than 2024 because of the need for zoning and site-plan approvals, will also include road improvements at the builder's expense to lessen traffic impacts, he said.
We look forward to working with (the) incoming ward councillor, staff and the public through the remaining application process," Johnston said, alluding to the Oct. 24 municipal election race to replace Powers, who isn't running.
Urban Solutions' webpage on the proposal features 27 documents, including studies on transportation, noise, shadow, wind and environmental impacts.
They show the development will proceed in two phases, starting with the 20-storey tower closest to the corner of King and Centennial, and conclude it won't negatively affect the Battlefield House Museum and Park or adjacent cemetery.
Archeological assessments also found no evidence of grave shafts or cemetery features on the property.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: We wanted to learn more about the plan after being contacted by a reader who noticed a sign on the site announcing the city had received a development application.